RSView32 .. upgrade? different? I'm lost!

Well, my XP installation crashed and I had to re-install everything. The version of RSView we have on CD is v3.10, but that version wouldn't import the .apa file I had created for reasons unknown.

So, perhaps I thought I'd upgrade, so after much searching I find a RSView32_6_40.zip over on rockwellautomation.com and figured that's what I needed.

Well, it's entirely different, and I wasn't very surprised by that, but it just seems TOO different. Firstly, the name is "Show Works", what? There's no application manager to download to the HMI and there's no archiver to even OPEN my previous project.

I am confused by the many, many different programs required to get anything done in the RSLogix world. When creating a RSLogix r16 project, will this "RSView Show Works" be the modern HMI tool, or did I miss something. What do you guys all have going on out there?

Thanks
Mark
(who now has a headache and is behind schedule again and may have to spend another week re-drawing an HMI)

another straw at which to grasp ...

Greetings Mark ...

this is just a wild guess - so don't waste any time on it ... but are you SURE that you have the RSView32 activation properly transfered to your new system? ... the last time I saw that "Show Works" thing in a title bar, was before the activation was put in place ...

going by memory here - which isn't always a good idea ...

Well, I got an email from a co-worker who's good at this sort of stuff, and he reminded me that RSView32 != RSView32 ME, so now I'm off to looking for the latest version of RSView32.

Fun!

(Hmm.. no downloads for RSView ME?)

If you are trying to open an apa file, you need RSView ME Studio, or FactoryTalk View ME Studio. RSView32 opens rsv files

Take a step back.

RSView32 is an older Rockwell Software HMI package. It is NOT what you want in this instance. Stop downloading it and installing it and referring to it.

What you need is FactoryTalk View Studio ME, version 5.

This will open your *.APA archive file, and allow you to create, modify and make runtime files for PanelView Plus terminals with version 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 4.0, or 5.0 firmware.

If you don't have a Support contract that makes you eligible for software downloads or DVD shipments, get in touch with your local RA distributor and see if they can help you out.

Eddie,

I didnt think that was strictly true although you probably can transfer the RSView32 file using FactoryTalk.

I was told there are three Rockwell HMI 'view' applications; FactoryTalk View SE, FactoryTalk View ME and RSView32 (which is not going anywhere for a while at least).

Sounds like they have lost the plot but I confirmed this in Rockwell training today. Idea is that FactoryTalk is more towards using their PLC's and some very very nice benefits to be had. Somehow there is no server-side VBA in FactoryTalk and I dont think it supports redundant CPU's, so you can't assume your RSView projects will just work (VBA behind buttons etc is still there though) in FactoryTalk.
Also FactoryTalk does not come with an OPC server (again, idea is you use their PLC's so they give you RSLinx).

RSView32 comes with OPC server and VBA scripting...it's still popular so it wont go anywhere.

I really dont understand where they are taking this.